Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Beijing (Pekin) and Sanya

For one person, living is cheaper in Sanya: $776 a month against $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin), rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Beijing (Pekin)
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Beijing (Pekin) Living Index
37

Cost of Living Index in Sanya
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Sanya Living Index

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Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 China

$1,185

/mo nomad

Sanya

🇨🇳 China

$776

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Beijing (Pekin) and in Sanya

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Beijing (Pekin) and in Sanya actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,185 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $776 in Sanya, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,185
Sanya $776

A couple spends around $1,917 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,250 in Sanya, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $1,917
Sanya $1,250

A family of three spends $2,648 per month in Beijing (Pekin) vs $1,723 in Sanya, rent included.

Beijing (Pekin) $2,648
Sanya $1,723

Beijing (Pekin) costs about 53% more than Sanya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Beijing (Pekin) and Sanya are more affordable than the global median – Beijing (Pekin) 13% lower, Sanya 43% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.53 ¥30.31

$3.33 ¥22.29

36.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$30.16 ¥202

$22.31 ¥149

35.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.36 ¥35.83

$6.19 ¥41.37

-13.41%

Cappuccino

$3.57 ¥23.84

$2.15 ¥14.37

66.05%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.51 ¥3.39

$0.53 ¥3.56

-3.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 ¥1.89

$0.43 ¥2.87

-34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.19 ¥7.94

$1.31 ¥8.75

-9.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 ¥11.43

$1.74 ¥11.61

-1.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.74 ¥11.66

$2.14 ¥14.33

-18.69%

White Bread (500g)

$1.77 ¥11.82

$1.36 ¥9.12

30.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.29 ¥8.61

$1.53 ¥10.22

-15.69%

Eggs

$1.95 ¥13.01

$1.68 ¥11.21

16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.29 ¥95.5

$23.02 ¥154

-37.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.31 ¥22.13

$4.57 ¥30.59

-27.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.11 ¥74.3

$11.46 ¥76.6

-3.05%

Apples (1kg)

$2.12 ¥14.18

$2.27 ¥15.17

-6.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 ¥11.56

$1.53 ¥10.24

13.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.09 ¥13.98

$2.46 ¥16.44

-15.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 ¥10.30

$1.99 ¥13.31

-22.61%

Potato (1kg)

$0.69 ¥4.64

$0.91 ¥6.11

-24.18%

Onion (1kg)

$0.91 ¥6.09

$0.73 ¥4.87

24.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.75 ¥5.04

$0.55 ¥3.65

36.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.61 ¥4.06

$0.59 ¥3.92

3.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 ¥28.52

$3.65 ¥24.42

16.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 ¥93.0

$7.67 ¥51.3

81.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 ¥6.80

$0.87 ¥5.83

17.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 ¥12.09

$1.60 ¥10.69

13.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 ¥4.65

$0.31 ¥2.05

122.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$34.82 ¥233

$18.12 ¥121

92.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.90 ¥12.73

$1.46 ¥9.76

30.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.35 ¥2.36

$0.35 ¥2.32

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.28 ¥48.68

$7.51 ¥50.2

-3.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 ¥8.87

$1.25 ¥8.34

6.40%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$19.6K ¥131.3K

$22.0K ¥147.2K

-10.84%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$18.0K ¥120.6K

$17.2K ¥114.9K

4.93%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$59.1 ¥395

$56.0 ¥374

5.46%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$8.77 ¥58.7

$6.60 ¥44.16

32.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$14.22 ¥95.1

$4.41 ¥29.52

222.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.06 ¥275

$40.87 ¥273

0.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.89 ¥166

$14.90 ¥99.6

67.05%

Cinema Ticket

$7.44 ¥49.74

$6.25 ¥41.80

19.04%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$654 ¥4,375

$403 ¥2,695

62.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K ¥160.5K

$17.0K ¥113.9K

40.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.2 ¥476

$43.83 ¥293

62.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 ¥268

$33.64 ¥225

18.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.2 ¥590

$73.6 ¥492

19.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 ¥846

$85.9 ¥574

47.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$945 ¥6,317

$298 ¥1,994

216.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$523 ¥3,499

$191 ¥1,276

174.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,362 ¥15.8K

$624 ¥4,173

278.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,122 ¥7,500

$381 ¥2,547

194.53%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.3K ¥82.0K

$3,393 ¥22.7K

261.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,446 ¥43.1K

$1,946 ¥13.0K

231.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,715 ¥11.5K

$903 ¥6,038

89.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.12

3.36

-7.14%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Beijing (Pekin): October 17, 2026

Last update for Sanya: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Beijing (Pekin)

$523 44.2%

Sanya

$191 24.6% 63.5% $333

Groceries & Markets

Beijing (Pekin)

$229 19.3%

Sanya

$251 32.3% 9.7% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Beijing (Pekin)

$147 12.4%

Sanya

$107 13.7% 27.3% $40

Eating Out

Beijing (Pekin)

$108 9.1%

Sanya

$85 10.9% 21.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Beijing (Pekin)

$82 6.9%

Sanya

$67 8.6% 18.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Beijing (Pekin)

$56 4.7%

Sanya

$53 6.9% 4.6% $2.6

Getting Around

Beijing (Pekin)

$41 3.5%

Sanya

$23 2.9% 45.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $945 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $298 in Sanya. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 90% higher in Beijing (Pekin), which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) versus $22.00 in Sanya. Groceries tell a different story – $229 in Beijing (Pekin) vs $251 in Sanya – so Beijing (Pekin) wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇳 Beijing (Pekin)

🇨🇳 Sanya

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

Same time as Beijing (Pekin)

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,893,095 Capital

1,031,396

💱 Currency

Chinese Yuan CNY ¥

📈 Exchange rate

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

1 CNY = 0.15 USD

1 CNY = 0.133 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Beijing (Pekin) Sanya 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

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City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Beijing (Pekin) vs Sanya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Beijing (Pekin) is pricier by about 53%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,778 per month in Beijing (Pekin) and $1,164 in Sanya. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Sanya, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $30.00 in Beijing (Pekin) and $22.00 in Sanya. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,185 in Beijing (Pekin) and $776 in Sanya. That's a gap of about 53%.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Sanya, where all-in costs run around $776, than in Beijing (Pekin) at $1,185. In Sanya it covers expenses comfortably, while in Beijing (Pekin) it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Sanya – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

If budget matters most, go with Sanya. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Beijing (Pekin) makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.